Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 18, 1944.

M. JI. GOULOOZE REFRIGERATING' APPARATUS Filed nay r. 1941 INVENTOR.@MPT/r( al Qaaaaazz:

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 18, 1944 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Martin J. Goulooze, GrandRapids, Mich., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Mich., acorporation of Maryland Detroit,

Application May 7, 1941, Serial No. 392,209

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and moreparticularly to refrigerator cabinets. s

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved door fora refrigerator cabinet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improveddoor for a refrigerator cabinet having inner and outer panel in spacedapart relation whereby the outer panel is rigidly reinforced forsupporting the weight of the door without buckling or twisting, with theinner panel attached in floating relation to permit free expansion andcontraction.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization, and itsmethod of operation together with additional objects and advantagesthereof will best be understood from the following description of specicembodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a refrigerator cabinet embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the refrigerator cabinet door with partsbrokenaway;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary venlarged cross sectional view taken along line3-3 of Fig. 1;l

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view with parts broken away and. parts shown insection taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig; 5is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional view taken along line5-5- of Fig. 2.

Shown in the drawing is a refrigerator cabinet .I0 having a food storagecompartment I2 cooled by any suitable refrigerant evaporator of the typenow in use (not shown) herein. 'I'he cabibent -at right angles to forman inwardly extending section 30.

Extending longitudinally about the door and flush against the sides 29at a parallel distance .below the section 30 is a frame member 32. The

frame32 comprises a horizontal section 33 extending inwardly at rightangles to side 29, and

a leg section 34 lying against and secured by weld, or, the like, to theside 29.. 'I'he end of the leg section is turned atright angles, as at35.

The horizontal section 33 of the frame extends inwardly a determinabledistance beyond the end edges of the section 30. Formed in each of thefour corners of section 33 are slots 3l through which pass the ends ofthe straps 40 which are doubled back and secured by clips 42 to the mainportion of the straps. The straps 40 extend diagonally across the doortying opposite diagonal corners of the frame.

Resting on the edge of the frame member 32 is a panel 45 which forms theinner side of the net I0 comprises an outer shell I4 and an inner shellor liner I6 in spaced apart relation for placing suitable heatinsulation material I1 therebetween and forming insulated top, bottom,rear and side wallsenclosing the food storage compartment. The innerliner I6 and outer shell I4 are interconnectively joined together by a.breaker strip I9 adjacent the door opening 20 of the compartment I2.The breaker 'strip together with the inwardly turned portion 22 of theouter shell I4 forms the front wall of 22 of the outer shell to preventair entering the iood storage compartment.

The door z5 is constructed with an outersheet metal panel 21 formed withupwardly extending sides 2S. The marginal edge of the sides are doorvand is suillciently spaced from the outer sheet metal panel 2l toprovide therebetween for the insertion of heat insulation material 41.

The panel 45 is preferably formed of Bakeli Micarta, or other plastic orcompositional material having a low heat conductivity. vIt has beenfound that such compositionally made panel has the tendency to absorbmoisture that has condensed on its surface due to the cooled surfacewith the` result that the absorption causes'an expansion which if notcompensated for causes a buckling or warping of thelpanel. Further, theexpansion is not uniform throughout, but that it may .be confined tocertain local areas where moisture had condensed and been absorbed,while other areas remain unaiected.

Likewise, the expansion may be in accordance` to the amount of moistureabsorbed in diiferent areas. To permit lateral expansion, the` panel 45is frictionally held' .by plate 50 against the frame member 32. Theplate is secured to the frame member 32 by screws 52 which thread intothe upwardly pressed cup shaped section 53. The section 53 serves alsoas a spacer in preventing the plate 50 from binding the edge of thepanel and to allow expansional or contractual movement. The panel 45 isalso secured at approximately near its center vby screw 55 to the straps40 at their point of intersection. The shank'of the screw 55 is ofconsiderably less diameter than the diameter of the opening 56 in thepanel 45 ened base 60 resting on the frame member.. The base 60 narrowsas it extends upwardly to provide a constricted neck portion which isviselike held between the edge of section 30 and the edge of the plate50 against withdrawal. The plate 50 secures the gasket so as to preventleakage of air into the interior of the door to thus preventmoistureformation on the inner side of the panel limit myself to theprecise details as shown but wish to avail myself of Such variation andmodifications as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A door for a cabinet comprising sheet material to provide side wallswith its marginal edge u turned to extend inwardly, a reinforcing framemember extending longitudinally in engagement and secured to said sidewalls, straps joining diagonally opposite corners of said frame member,an insulating panel forming the inner'side of said door, means forfrlctionally holding the edges of said panel against said frame memberto permit said edges to move relative to said frame member upon theexpansion and contracf therewith a laterally opening pocket, and anonmetallic panel member forming the inner side of said door secured byits edges confined within said pocket.

3. A door construction comprising sheet material formed to provide sideand front walls with its marginal edge anged inwardly, a frame carriedby said sheet metal at the rear of the door, an insulating panelextending across and forming the rear wall of the door, and meansforming a pocket with said frame for frictionally securing said panel tosaid frame, and a sealing gasket secured between said means and saidinwardly flanged edge.

MARTIN J. GOULOOZE.

